The Endurance Coachpreneur: Business Tips for Triathlon, Running and Cycling Coaches

Hosted by Michelle Lake

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159

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Nov 2026

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About the show

The show that helps Endurance Coaches bridge the gap from hobby to creating a dream, impact filled, profitable coaching business. We will discuss all things Endurance business: - time management - marketing - mindset - growing your community of engaged athletes Listen here to grow your athlete roster of ideal, perfect-for-you athletes while bringing home more income for you and your family. Endurance coaching is already your dream job - let’s make it a full time reality!

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60 recent

November 4, 2026Episode 15315 min

Episode 153 - How to Use Races to Find New Athletes

Race weekend is the best recruiting content of the year. In this episode, I share how to turn any race, whether you’re there or not, into content that attracts your ideal athlete, plus the little Ironman Maryland game I played five years ago that led me to my assistant coach Robin. In this episode: Why race weekend is your best recruiting content of the year, even though athletes are racing What to post before, during and after a race How the algorithm now shows athletes their interests, so posting about one race brings you more of those athletes How to build a calendar with one big race focus per month for 2027 Content That Recruits is open right now. It’s the 9-module course I built to help endurance coaches get athletes from their content, and it includes a 30-minute one-on-one with me as a bonus. Get Content That Recruits HERE: https://coachmichellelake.lpages.co/contentthatrecruits2/ You can also DM me the word RECRUIT on Instagram @CoachMichelleLake. Let me know what you think! If you enjoy the podcast, I’d be so grateful if you left a star rating or written review on your podcast platform of choice. Thanks for listening! Follow me on IG @CoachMichelleLake | Join the list

October 28, 2026Episode 15223 min

Episode 152 - How to Attract Your Ideal Athlete

Every athlete who leaves makes room for a more ideal one. In this episode, I share what happened when two of my athletes took a break, why getting tighter on your niche attracts better athletes, and the homework I want you to do this week to name your ideal athlete. In this episode: Why you earn your right to go wide, and how a tighter niche gets you followers who say “this is talking directly to me” My line in the sand (hello Peloton 👋), and why every coach needs one When it’s time to give an athlete 30 days notice Dream to 6 is currently closed, but the waitlist is open. Join the waitlist for Dream to 6 here. Are you making close to 6 figures USD? You might be a candidate for Dream to 7. Email coachmichellelake@gmail.com or DM me to see if it’s the right fit for you. Want first word on what I’m launching in January? DM me the word AI. Don’t know where to start with content, or want more engagement and a bigger following? Content That Recruits is the course I built for endurance coaches to attract their ideal athletes. Get Content That Recruits HERE. You can also DM me the word RECRUIT on Instagram. Let me know what you think! If you enjoy the podcast, I’d be so grateful if you left a star rating or written review on your podcast platform of choice. Thanks for listening! Follow me on IG @CoachMichelleLake | Join the list

October 21, 2026Episode 15132 min

Episode 151 - Left Behind: The 2 Shifts Changing Endurance Coaching

Social media was the first shift that left endurance coaches behind. AI is the second. In this episode, I zoom out on 20 years of coaching, who adapted, who got left behind, and why I am bringing AI into my business (but not into my training plans). In this episode: How coaching went from email and Excel to TrainingPeaks, and why the bell feature that cleared comments was a HUGE win Why coaches who skipped social media have mostly shrunk, and the one exception who doesn't need it Why you don't have to post every day, you just have to show up where your ideal athlete spends time Why AI is the second shift, and why I still believe you have to write training plans yourself to truly coach Feeling behind on social media or on AI? Content That Recruits is a 9-module system for creating content that brings in inquiries and grows your following, and it includes AI prompts to build around your own thinking. Get Content That Recruits HERE. Dream to 6 and Dream to 7 are on a break, but the waitlists are open. Join the waitlist for Dream to 6 here. Are you making close to 6 figures USD? You might be a candidate for Dream to 7. Email coachmichellelake@gmail.com or DM me to see if it's the right fit for you. Let me know what you think! If you enjoy the podcast, I’d be so grateful if you left a star rating or written review on your podcast platform of choice. Thanks for listening! Follow me on IG @CoachMichelleLake | Join the list

October 14, 2026Episode 15024 min

Episode 150 - The 2 Non-Negotiables for Hiring an Assistant Coach

Everyone wants to hire assistant coaches early. Most of the time, it's too early. In this episode, I share what went wrong in my first business, why I waited to add assistants at Fiv3 Racing, and the two traits I screen for before I bring anyone on. In this episode: Why more inquiries than you can handle isn't a green light to hire How hiring too early multiplies your systems problems (and your retention problems) Why assistant coaches with 0 to 2 athletes become a liability, not a win Why hiring from your own coaching ranks is often your best bet Dream Launcher is OPEN, but only until TOMORROW at 11:59 pm EST! Join us HERE. Dream to 6 is currently closed, but the waitlist is open. Join the waitlist for Dream to 6 here. Are you making close to 6 figures USD? You might be a candidate for Dream to 7. Email coachmichellelake@gmail.com or DM me to see if it's the right fit for you. Let me know what you think! If you enjoy the podcast, I’d be so grateful if you left a star rating or written review on your podcast platform of choice. Thanks for listening! Follow me on IG @CoachMichelleLake | Join the list

October 7, 2026Episode 14923 min

Episode 149 - The System That Ends Your Coaching Day by Lunch (Or Much Earlier)

October is a collision. Your athletes are racing their biggest A races. And it's SELLING season, when athletes are shopping for their next coach. So why is your plan writing still happening at 9 PM on a Sunday? In this episode, I break down the RPE system I've used since 2010 to coach 22 athletes in 30 to 60 minutes a day. Also in this episode: Why Sunday work keeps Monday from becoming a pile-up Why timely feedback keeps athletes (and costs far less than landing new ones) Why comments tell you more than data when you write the next plan Pick your window, lock it in, and tell your athletes why. Send the email. Give it two weeks. If you have more than 5 athlete coaching experience, join the Dream to 6 waitlist . For 6-figure coaches scaling in 2027, the Dream to 7 will be open in December/January so stay tuned! DM me on Instagram at @CoachMichelleLake to learn more. Let me know what you think! If you enjoy the podcast, I’d be so grateful if you left a star rating or written review on your podcast platform of choice. Thanks for listening! Follow me on IG @CoachMichelleLake | Join the list

September 30, 2026Episode 14816 min

Episode 148 - Your Athletes Can Tell It's AI

I keep coming back to AI because you guys keep asking about it. This week, I'm breaking down exactly where it belongs in your content process, and where it doesn't. AI is a dial, not a switch. How much I want you leaning on it depends on where you're at. Here's my warning - athletes can smell AI-written content, and it costs you trust. I go through the tells (paragraphs that say nothing, repetitive sentence shapes, over-designed posts, suspiciously perfect spelling) and make the case that a typo is proof you actually wrote it. I also walk through two real examples from my own content: a reel pulled from a forgotten podcast story that hit 300K+ views and 50 new followers, and a same-day post that saved me on a day I had nothing left in the tank. DM me the word CONTENT and let's talk about getting your content strategy in line, whether that's Dream Launcher, Dream to 6, Dream to 7, or Content That Recruits that's coming back soon. Let me know what you think! If you enjoy the podcast, I’d be so grateful if you left a star rating or written review on your podcast platform of choice. Thanks for listening! Follow me on IG @CoachMichelleLake | Join the list

September 23, 2026Episode 14726 min

Episode 147 - Passion Doesn't Pay The Mortgage: Why I Built Dream to 6

You can't will your way into a full roster. In this episode, I break down why coaching skill alone was never going to be enough (for me or for you) and take you back to the exact moment Coach Michelle Lake was born: a stalled business, a kid headed to kindergarten, and a decision to finally learn the parts of running a coaching business nobody teaches you. In this episode: The real reason "just be a good coach" doesn't build a business How one conversation with my athlete Robin became the spark for a coach-mentorship account The four keys every profitable coaching business needs (and the one most coaches skip) Why an 80%+ renewal rate isn't luck, it's a system Heads up: Spots in Dream to 6 are limited right now, two coaches are already closed, and the program may pause enrollment after October. If you've been sitting on this, this episode is your sign to stop waiting. 📞 Book your roadmap call now to find out if Dream to 6 is the right fit before the doors close: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule/afee674e/appointment/31380211/calendar/5950491?appointmentTypeIds[]=31380211 Let me know what you think! If you enjoy the podcast, I’d be so grateful if you left a star rating or written review on your podcast platform of choice. Thanks for listening! Follow me on IG @CoachMichelleLake | Join the list

September 16, 2026Episode 14635 min

Episode 146 - Score Your Business Out of 12: A Fun Quiz

It's peak selling season, and I'm making you grade yourself! Inspired by those old magazine quizzes, this episode walks through a self-audit across the four levers that actually grow a coaching business: Marketing & Content Creation Grow & Engage Community Athlete Results on a Time Budget Business Mindset I break down what to look for in each one and give you a simple 0-3 scoring system so you can see exactly where you stand, and which program fits you best based on your numbers. DM me your four scores on Instagram @CoachMichelleLake. I'd love to hear where you land - it helps me keep building programming that actually gets you where you need to go. Let me know what you think! If you enjoy the podcast, I’d be so grateful if you left a star rating or written review on your podcast platform of choice. Thanks for listening! Follow me on IG @CoachMichelleLake | Join the list

September 14, 2026Episode 14519 min

Episode 145 - The Race You Won't Sign Up For

You sign up for a race with zero guarantees. So why won't you sign up for your business? In this episode, I break down why "I'm not good enough" and "I'll do it when I'm further along" keep coaches stuck in the same place a year later. In this episode, I discuss: The client who corrected herself mid-sales-call: "Wait a second. You help me GET more athletes." Two Selling Season case studies, both coaches roughly 4x'd their revenue My husband and the training-without-a-race problem "Until you sign up for the race, it'll never happen." Ready to stop training for a race you haven't signed up for? Book a call HERE: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule/afee674e/appointment/31380211/calendar/5950491?appointmentTypeIds[]=31380211 Let me know what you think! If you enjoy the podcast, I’d be so grateful if you left a star rating or written review on your podcast platform of choice. Thanks for listening! Follow me on IG @CoachMichelleLake | Join the list

September 9, 2026Episode 14419 min

Episode 144 - The MONEY Episode

We've talked about worth. We've talked about pricing. Now it's time for the thing that actually sits underneath both of them: money . I heard a quote this week that stopped me in my tracks. "If you're scared of money, you'll make no money." And once I heard it, I couldn't stop thinking about how true that is for so many of the coaches I work with. This episode isn't about spreadsheets (okay...it's a little about spreadsheets). It's about why so many of us were taught to avoid talking about money, where that fear actually comes from, and why avoiding your numbers is keeping you stuck. I'm sharing: The actual reason coaches avoid looking at their revenue (it's not a math problem...) Why you track everything for your athletes but nothing for your business The mindset shift that separates "coach" from "coachpreneur" A simple 30 day challenge to change your relationship with money for good This week's challenge: Start tracking every dollar that comes into your business. Not what you think it should be. What it actually is. Awareness first, judgment never. Ready to go from coach to coachpreneur? If you've coached 5+ athletes and you're ready to build real income, book a call with me : https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule/afee674e/appointment/31380211/calendar/5950491?appointmentTypeIds[]=31380211 Tell me you're coming from the podcast, I'd love to hear from you! Let me know what you think! If you enjoy the podcast, I’d be so grateful if you left a star rating or written review on your podcast platform of choice. Thanks for listening! Follow me on IG @CoachMichelleLake | Join the list